Photo of the new Browns

May 19th Jesus is Glorious!

Opening my Bible this morning I was deeply deeply needing the Holy Spirit to use the Word to encourage and strengthen me. I open to John 11 and I read, "This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of Man may be glorified."  I began to cry. "Yes, Lord Jesus. Be glorified here. Show us that you are the Resurrection and the Life."

Rarely have I seen the hand of God carry us through a day more than He has this week. Again and again, He is making a way for us and showing us His glory.

Jay woke up today still feeling bad, but he went out with Beezi to try to get everything we need from the government. He begged and pleaded with people to ask them to help us get the documents that we needed faster. He showed then a picture of our sweet daughter with a feeding tube in her nose, her head slumped over because it is too heavy to hold up, an iv in her arm, a peeling and bald head and her looking very malnourished. God moved their wills like a stream of water and they helped us. Praise Him!

I went with our 2 little ones to get passport photos and go get their medical approval done. Here is our snag. Our little ones have to have a tb test that takes three days for the us embassy. I praise God for the doctors who examined her today. It has been unclear what her condition really is. The 2 doctors here do not agree. We know now that her main problem is severe malnutrition. This has made her vulnerable to infection and sickness. The doctors think she has pneumonia and we are notsure about tb. She has been tested 3 times for it already and it has come back negative so I am very thankful for that. The doctors were kind and clear. The head doctor assured us that when she has good care she will get over her malnutrition and be fine. She is so weak and frail. This word was so encouraging.

I got to spend a good amount of time with our kids today. I loved and treasured every minute. Big E fell asleep in my lap 2 times and I just held him tight. He is so fun. He smiles easily with a huge beautiful smile. At first he was a little reluctant about me today. I think he is guarding himself from more rejection. He was really letting us love him by the end of the day. We had to leave him at 4 pm to run more document errands. He put on his little back pack to come with us. We assured him we would see him tomorrow.

Little E always seems like she is on the verge of sleep but we got to snuggle while she slept. She will make great eye contact with me now. She puts out her arms just a little to be picked up. She loves to be held. We went and visited her late tonight to arrange a nurse for her test tomorrow. We gave her some juice we bought and she so wanted to drink it. She threw it all up. We felt so bad for her but right after she half smiled 3 times. We got the little photo talking book that we made for her and she smiled at the pictures of Ethan, Kennedy, Braden and Jude. I was so excited to see her half smile, her lips tilted up. She smiled for Big E on Monday, but I didn't see it. She does not lift of use her hand with an iv and she barely uses her other hand. I think it just requires too much energy. But she used her iv hand to show us a place on her arm where the skin is raw from her last iv. She tried a little bit to make a noise. (Today she made 4 sounds that sounded like she was barely able to get out a sound of a word. Praise Him!) She was very concerned about this spot and we asked her if it hurt. She just kept pointing to it. We told her it was okay and kissed it and rubbed her arm.

Please pray that we would all see the glory of God  through this and worship and believe in Him more. It so encourages me to see Him care so personally and intimately about every moment of my day. The fact that He cares for us this way is an amazing display of the riches of His love. Rarely do we get to see His purposes for the ways He has led us. It has been so clear this week. I will tell you more about this when we get home.

Please pray that we will be cleared by medical and will be able to leave on Monday.

Please pray that Little and Big E will believe that we love them and God loves them.

Please pray Little E will continue to heal and we will know how to help her.

Please pray that the hurt and the tears that I have for this orphans would not cease. I feel like every moment I am on the verge of sobbing. If you could see our little girl and the boney babies you would too.

Thank you so much for your encouraging notes and prayers. It means so much to us. The power goes off here and the Internet is spotty, but when we get to read your notes it feels like God Himself is whispering to us, " I am for you. I am with you."

We love you Ethan, Kennedy, Braden and Jude. We long for you. We miss you so so so much. Jesus is worthy of the sacrifice of having us gone. We can not wait to hear all your stories.

Thank you our wonderful Mimi and Papa.

Thank you Shannon for posting this for me. Blogger does not work here.

I will post a forward facing picture when we get home. 

Jesus is the All-Satisfying Treasure!
Ashley Brown         

May 18th 2 New Members of Team Brown!

Trusting in Isaiah 41:10
Fear not for I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am you God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous night hand.

Big E and Little E have officially entered Team Brown! We can not wait for you to meet them.

I praise God that he granted us grace for Jay to sit through 3 hours of waiting through court. He felt very bad.

I praise God that the judge had mercy on us and granted us the court decree this afternoon.

I praise God that our agency's director here is going to try to help us get our things done tomorrow so we can submit our paper work to the embassy.

I praise God that I got to meet Ashley York, a young women who is here trying to help the orphanages. I will tell you some horrific stories soon.

I praise God that I got to see Little E tonight and the orphanage director told me that Little E is not putting her head down and hugging me because she is sick but just because she likes to hug. I praise God for another snuggle bug.

Please continue to pray for her. She does not seem to be I proving. She is weak and has no hair. Her head is covered with peeling skin. She is so beautiful but she really seems to be struggling to breathe.

Please pray for a health clearance for Little E so they will let her in the united states.

Please pray for favor with the government to be able to make a special exceptions to process their paperwork very quickly.

Please pray for Jay. He is still sick and feeling bad. We actually think it might be viral. 2 of the nannies got it at the same time.  He spent the whole afternoon in bed while I ran around.

Please pray for God to prepare all of Team Brown's hearts as we come home.

Please pray for us to trust, hope and have more joy in our amazing Savior.

We can not thank you enough for praying for us, He is always good.
I promise to try to send pictures tomorrow. So much more to say but I am so tied after 3 hours of sleep. I am racked with hurt for these orphans. It is way worse than I thought.

Jesus is My All-Satisfying Treasure!
Ashley Brown

We passed!

We passed court today. Big E and Little E are officially Browns. Praise Him!  Thank you for all the prayers for this day.

Ashley and I got traveler's illness last night. She feels better this afternoon but I'm running a fever and symptoms continue. Please pray that antibiotic wipes this out quickly.

Praise the Lord for May 17th

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name. Psalm 103

We bless the LORD today for His presence covering over us like the cloud overshadowed the Israelites as they walked in the desert. We praise Him for being our Strength, our Hope, our Help, our Protector, and our Treasure today.

I praise Jesus today that He gave us a good deep sleep last night. We were hurting for sleep and He provided.

I praise Jesus that Beezi was back to be our interpreter today. He is an amazing man of God. Loving. Kind. Wise. I can’t wait to tell you his story but that will come later. He loves the Lord and knows His Word. He not only helps us to translate what people are saying but to discern what is going on.

I praise God we got to see the Adoption Avenues Foster Care home. The children there were precious and beautiful. When I see them I can sense how precious they are to God. One little 18 month old girl followed us around as we took the tour. She wanted to see her picture on the camera. I took a picture of her and showed it to her. She loved it. 

I praise the Lord for our Ethiopian Agency doctor who God used to save Little E’s life. He said when he went to the government hospital. He knew she was not properly being taken care of. Father God, please, please send Christ-loving, selfless workers to love these babies. Beezi said it is not a matter of resources but a lack of people who hurt for these children with the love of Christ.

I praise Jesus that when we went to see Little E this morning she ate very well.  When we walked into the hospital, she was laying down and her head was propped up on a pillow.  She was holding a chocolate in her non IV hand. It was melting all into her hand. Nanny H tried to feed her some but she did not want it. I asked if we could wash her hand. I washed her hand and wiped it on my jeans. They sat her up on the bed and brought her some pasta soup to eat. Jay fed it to her and she liked it and ate it well. It was so sweet to watch. She seemed very hungry. She ate every bit of the soup. A little boy from the orphanage was there too. He is 9 years old and learning to speak English. At the orphanage yesterday he started calling me “Mama.” So now all of the children there call me “Mama.” .The older children at the orphanage are so endearing. I feel like I have gotten to know them well. I love them. It gives me such a heart for adoption for older children.  I held and rocked Little E.

I praise God that we got to learn a little more incredibly valuable information from the orphanage workers about Little E and Big E’s story. Jay asked them some questions and Beezi was there to interpret and help us navigate what they were saying. Jay  got it in on video. We are so thankful to God for the information they gave us. They told us that when they first got Little E 5 months ago she was severely malnourished. This helps us explain why she was already malnourished when the Shigella hit.

I praise God for the opportunity to pray over Little E and the other 4 babies in the room. So they added another baby to Edil’s  room. The new baby is so little and just bones. She is beautiful and desperate. She looks like the smallest premie I have ever seen but with no fat. They do not cry. The workers prop a bottle on the side of their mouths and the babies eat until it falls out. I praise God we got to pray over them. God hears and I know His heart breaks for them way more than my own heart. We are broken to the core over it. 

I praise God that this afternoon we got to go back to the orphanage and see Big E. When we arrived the older children were playing on a mat outside with some of the toys we had brought. Jay scooped up Big E and we gave them all hugs and kisses. We sat back on the mat and played. Jay played soccer with some of the boys. Big E went back and forth between Jay and me to play. He knows the favored spot in my lap is his any time he wants it. He carried around a little block gun that they had made and shot at people. He is precious and energetic and fun. He giggles easily when we kiss or tickle him. I went and got some of the crayons and coloring pages we had brought and sat down with them to color. They were constantly showing me their work for approval. I replied with as much affirmation as I could, “Betam Tiroo. Gobez.” Very Good. Good job. Eyob cried again when we left. We ache for him.

I praise God that the orphanage workers have had so much favor on us. They are believers too and have been so gracious to us. Many families only get to see their kids 2 times on their visit and for only 1 hour per child. We have seen our children for several hours each day. God has had so much mercy in the favor we have enjoyed with these workers. The whole way in the van the orphanage worker talked to us and answered our questions. They have complimented how much we love the children.  Praise Him!

I praise God that we got to go back to the hospital to see Little E and the Agency doctor met us again to give us the letter we needed to appeal to the court and to the US embassy. He said that she looked like she was doing much better and you could tell just by her skin. We still have not seen her smile. We all prayed over her and the other babies. Jay held her hand to tell her good-bye and she did not want to let go. She just kept squeezing it.

Praise Him! The US Embassy said they would be willing to expedite our case.

I praise God for my amazing husband who has done an awesome job affirming and encouraging the workers. He seems always to say just the right thing. He is wise and encouraging and totally endearing. He is ministering to the prosperity gospel people here with the word of God. This is the Spirit of Christ in Him! Praise God!

We love you all and we are so thankful for you. 

Please pray that the court would rule in favor of expediting our case in our court tomorrow.

Please pray that our agency would be able and willing to get the documents together for us to get their birth certificates and passports.

Please pray the God would continue to heal little E. She is still very weak and fatigued. Her breath is short and she seems be struggling.

Please pray for Big E’s and Little E’s hearts as they learn to love us and sense our love for them. 

Jay twisted his ankle today. He may not be quite ready for the Harlem Globetrotters after all - He is in pain. Please pray God would heal it.

Tomorrow is a big day. We look forward to tasting of the Lord’s goodness to us. We praise Him! 

Jesus is the All-Satisfying Treasure!

Ashley Brown

Squeezed

It's 10:40pm and it's pitch dark in our room except for the light of my iPhone as I type. The power has been out since about 6pm. We ate dinner by candlelight with 2 other couples who are adopting and staying in the same guest house.  It was great to hear their stories. One couple is adopting for the second time from Ethiopia twin girls about 20 months old and the other couple is adopting for the first time a 28 month old girl. It was fun to celebrate with them. They have much more typical adoption stories but God had something different for our good and His glory.  Like us, they have court dates this week. Thankfully, all three of their girls are healthy. They have been a great encouragement to us here.

Today, we went early to the orphanage to play with Big E. We had a great time playing with Big E and all the other kids. Big E is so fun. He will fit in great with our family.  He is strong, focused, determined and a little feisty.  It's good to see that he can hang with older boys since he'll have 3 bros soon.

I promise you have never felt a squeeze like the hug of a lonely orphan. It is unforgettably strong.  They long to be loved and you can feel it in your soul as they squeeze your neck and plant a big wet one on your cheek.  It's not the passing church hug that greets a friend but a hug that says don't let go of me I don't have anybody else to love me.  There was a great deal of hugging with all the orphans during and in between kicking a soccer ball, teaching the kids to dribble between their legs and making a behind the back pass.  While I busy pretending to be a Harlem Globetrotter, Ashley was having her hair braided by 6 kids simultaneously.  It was a good look as long as you're already married.

After lunch, we went to the hospital to visit Little E.  She was sitting up and eating injera.  She looked much better than yesterday.  Shortly after we arrived, we met with her doctor.  He said Little E was "lucky" to be alive given how bad she was when she arrived.  It was not Lady Luck who has been restoring our girl. Our doctor told us that Little E developed pneumonia yesterday and was now on another antibiotic.  She remains very sick. Her breathing is labored and by the time we left she was again struggling to hold her head up. While we didn't get any smiles despite our best parenting efforts, she did reach out her arms to both Ashley and I to be held.  Her nanny H is loving her well.  Please pray for nanny H as you pray for Little E.

Yesterday, Little E had a room by herself. Today, she was joined by 3 infants. Infants who had been found abandoned and taken by the police and given to our orphanage.  The youngest was about a week old. He was so dehydrated and had lost so much weight that his skin was as wrinkled as the most wrinkled elderly person you have ever seen. He was bones and skin. I will struggle to sleep tonight as I think about his condition. God please have mercy on this little boy.  The other two were in terrible condition also as they weighed about 8lbs but were 3-4 months old.  This is just a glimpse of what is happening in over 140 million cases in the world.

We prayed this morning for His daily good and like every other day in all of history He provided. He is faithful to thousand generations and not one of His promises fail!

Please pray for us to hold fast that Jesus is enough, that we do not grow weary in doing good (we're a bit homesick today), that our kids' Pappa has great strength while he covers Tues to Fri in Houston by himself, that Little E continues to recover, that Big E begins to understand his adoption, that I comfort and encourage Ashley, that our final steps of completing the adoptions are speedy and that we do all for His glory.

Tomorrow, we are going to look at a fostercare home that could be where we move Big and Little E following our court date.  Please add discernment to the prayer list above.

Former orphan squeezed eternally by a loving Father,
jb

Faith Required

We woke up this morning (Monday) thanking God for our trial. It is not what we would have picked - we would have picked a healthy vibrant girl who ran into our arms. However, our pick would not have required as much faith.  This requires faith. We are dependent not capable. We are weak not strong. We are ignorant not intelligent. We are struggling with being unable to communicate in the native language, particularly with the technical jargon of medicine. We can't just buy the medicines she needs to restore her health.  This trial is not fixable by us. It requires faith.

So, we wake up this morning with two thoughts simple Christ-exalting thoughts.  First, Jesus is enough. As Ashley says, He is the All-satisfying Treasure!  In our trial, Jesus is enough for us. We need nothing more. He has given us more but we need only Him. Second, He will provide bread for today. Like the manna and cloud by day, the Israelites saw God provide daily. He will be faithful today for our good and His glory. So, we ask for our daily bread from our Father who gives only good gifts. He doesn't promise to give what we ask but He never gives a stone when we ask for bread or a serpent when we ask for a fish. So, today we pray for bread. We can't wait to see what good He gives.

Jesus, You are enough and Father, please give us our daily good!

Loved by Him,
jb